‘They lied to Nigerians’ – Kenneth Okonkwo accuses Tinubu govt of secretly bringing back fuel subsidy

According to a report by The Sun on Monday, October 12, 2026, Kenneth Okonkwo, a lawyer and actor, has accused Taiwo Oyedele of making a false statement regarding the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount policy, arguing that the initiative should be regarded as a fuel subsidy despite the government’s description of it as a discount.

Okonkwo made the allegation during a discussion on Channels Television, where he examined the government’s explanation of the temporary reduction in petrol prices.

He questioned the decision to present the intervention as a discount rather than acknowledge it as a subsidy aimed at reducing the financial burden on consumers.

During the television programme, the lawyer maintained that the policy met the basic definition of a subsidy because it was intended to lower the cost of petrol for Nigerians.

He argued that the temporary nature of the intervention did not change its fundamental purpose of making fuel more affordable.

Okonkwo also challenged the Federal Government’s position that the 30-day measure did not represent a return to the fuel subsidy system.

He insisted that the policy’s objective was consistent with the principle of providing financial support to reduce the price consumers pay for a product.

The actor further criticised the explanation provided by Oyedele concerning the government’s petrol pricing intervention.

He argued that describing the measure as a discount did not alter its underlying nature, particularly when the policy was designed to offer motorists and other petrol consumers some relief from fuel costs.

According to Okonkwo, the disagreement centred on how the government classified the intervention rather than the relief it was expected to provide.

He maintained that a policy intended to reduce the amount Nigerians pay for petrol could still qualify as a subsidy, regardless of the terminology used by the authorities.

Expressing his position during the programme, Okonkwo directly accused Oyedele of dishonesty over his description of the policy, insisting that the government’s temporary petrol price reduction amounted to a subsidy.

“Sorry to say this, Taiwo Oyedele lied when he said it was not subsidy. It was subsidy,” Okonkwo said.

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